Species Orthezia urticae (Linnaeus, 1758)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Aphis urticae Linnaeus, C. 1758. II. Hemiptera. pp. 434-457 in Linnaeus, C. Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundem classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentis, synonymis, locis. Editio decima, reformata. Holmiae : Laurentii Salvii Vol. 1 10, 824 pp. [453].
• Orthezia characias Bosc d'Antic, L.A.G. 1784. [Description of Orthezia characias.] Description de l'Orthezia characias. Journal de Physique 1: 173 [171].
• Coccus dubius Fabricius, J.C. 1794. Entomologia Systematica Emendata et Aucta. Secundum, Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, adjectis synonimis [sic], locis, observationibus, descriptionibus. Tom. 1. Hafniae : Christ. Gottl. Proft. Vol. 4 472 pp. [228].
• Dorthezia delavauxii Thiébaut de Berneaud, A. 1825. Description d'une nouvelle espèce de dorthèsia existante aux environs de Paris. Mémoires de la Société Linnéenne de Paris 3: 285-292 [289].
• Coccus glechomae Burmeister, H. 1835. Scharlachlause. Schildläuse. Coccina. (Gallinsecta 1). pp. 61-83 in Burmeister, H. (ed.). Handbuch der Entomologie. Berlin : T.F. Inslin Vol. 2(1). [77] [nom. nud., see Lindinger, L. 1912. Die Schildläuse (Coccidae) Europas, Nordafrikas und Vorder-Asiens, einschliesslich der Azoren, der Kanaren und Madeiras. Stuttgart : E. Ulmer 388 pp. (364); Douglas, J.W. 1881. On the species of the genus Orthezia. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 17: 172–176, 203–205 states that this species was cited by Burmeister, but that he was unable to find a description. Burmeister cites this species as "Cocc. Glechomae Fabr." but there is no evidence of this species epithet in any of Fabricius' publications. Since no reference to this name can be found in Fabricius, Burmeister is listed as the author of the name].

  Secondary source:

   Douglas, J.W. 1881. On the species of the genus Orthezia. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 17: 172-176, 203-205; Lindinger, L. 1912. Die Schildläuse (Coccidae) Europas, Nordafrikas und Vorder-Asiens, einschliesslich der Azoren, der Kanaren und Madeiras. Stuttgart : E. Ulmer 388 pp.
• Dorthezia dispar Kaltenbach, J.H. 1874. Die Pflanzenfeinde aus der Klasse der Insekten. Stuttgart : Hoffmann 848 pp. [486] [nom. nud.; Douglas, J.W. 1881. On the species of the genus Orthezia. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 17: 172–176, 203–205states that "Orthezia dispar Kaltenbach, was never described so far as I can ascertain; it is given thus by Kaltenbach in "Die Pflanzenfeinde" p. 486 (1874): 'Dortesia dispar? = urticae, Brm.' It is, therefore, merely a superfluous name."].

  Secondary source:

   Douglas, J.W. 1881. On the species of the genus Orthezia. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 17: 172-176, 203-205.
• Orthezia maenariensis Douglas, J.W. 1884. IV. On a new species of the genus Orthezia. Transactions of the Entomological Society of London 1884: 81-86 [81].
• Orthezia martelli Leonardi, G. 1908. Seconda contribuzione alla conoscenza della cocciniglie Italiane. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Entomologia Agraria 'Filippo Silvestri', Portici 3: 150-191 [150].
• Orthezia arenariae Vayssière, P. 1924. Troix nouveaux coccides de l'Afrique Française (Hem.). Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France 2: 28-32 [28].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Signoret, V. 1876. Essai sur les cochenilles ou gallinsectes (Homoptères – Coccides), 17e partie. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 5 5: 374-394 [389-390] (synonymy of Orthezia characias Bosc, 1784)
• Morrison, H. 1925. Classification of scale insects of the subfamily Ortheziinae. Journal of Agricultural Research 30: 97-154 [141] (synonymy of Orthezia martelli Leonardi, 1908)
• Morrison, H. 1952. Classification of the Ortheziidae. Supplement to Classification of scale insects of the subfamily Ortheziinae. United States Department of Agriculture. Technical Bulletin 1052: 1-80 [14-15] (synonymy of Orthezia arenariae Vayssière, 1924)

Ecological Descriptors

Sap-feeder.

ID Keys

(Danzig, E.M., 1988) [696] (female; Orthezia species of the Soviet far east); (Ossiannilsson, F., 1984) [123] (female; Ortheziidae of Sweden); (Danzig, E.M., 1971) [806] (female; key to species of the family Ortheziidae); (Danzig, E.M., 1964) [621] (female; Orthezia species in SSSR); (Morrison, H., 1952) [11] (adult female; species in the Urticae group of Orthezia); (Morrison, H., 1925) [109] (adult female; Species of the Subgenus Orthezia); (MacGillivray, A.D., 1921) [113] (adult female; Orthezia species)

BIOLOGY

Detailed description of life history by Sikes, E.K. 1928. The external morphology and life-history of the coccid bug, Orthezia urticae Linn. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1928: 269–305. All stages overwinter except first instars. Females lay 150–500 eggs and there is one yearly generation. This species can probably reproduce with or without fertilization (see Kosztarab, M. & Kozár, F. 1988. Scale Insects of Central Europe. Budapest : Akadémiai Kiado 456 pp.). Orthezia urticae has been found in salt marshes on stems that are submerged at high tide, see Harrison, J.W.H. 1916. Notes and records. The Vasculum 2: 92–94.

STRUCTURE

Adult female is oval and covered with six rows of wax plates, but none are at the midline. Fully developed ovisac is longer than the body and is strongly dorsally ribbed. Adult males and immatures poorly known (see Kosztarab, M. & Kozár, F. 1988. Scale Insects of Central Europe. Budapest : Akadémiai Kiado 456 pp.)

ECONOMIC AND CONTROL

Biological control of this species is discussed by Balachowsky, A.S. 1928. Un nouveau coccide du sud Tunisien. Bulletin de la Société d'Histoire Naturelle de l'Afrique du Nord 19: 91–93, Balachowsky, A.S. 1930. Contribution à l'étude des coccides de France (4e note) quelques hymenoptères chalcidiens parasites de coccides recueillis dans les Alpes-Maritimes et le var durant l'année 1929. Revue de Pathologie Végétale et d'Entomologie Agricole de France 17: 218–221, Herting, B. & Simmonds, F.J. 1972. A catalogue of parasites and predators of terrestrial arthropods. U.K. : Farnham Roy. 210 pp. and Kawai, S. 1980. Scale insects of Japan in colors. Tokyo : National Agricultural Education Association 455 pp.

GENERAL

Original description by Vayssière, P. 1924. Troix nouveaux coccides de l'Afrique Française (Hem.). Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France 2: 28–32; detailed treatment of the male of the species by Koteja, J. 1986. Morphology and taxonomy of male Ortheziidae (Homoptera, Coccinea). Polskie Pismo Entomologiczne 56: 323–374.

General References

Kuwana, S.I. 1917. Coccidae of Japan. Japan : Gifu Vol. 2. [3] (Orthezia japonica: incorrect synonymy)

Signoret, V. 1876. Essai sur les cochenilles ou gallinsectes (Homoptères – Coccides), 17e partie. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 5 5: 374-394 [389] (Orthezia cataphracta: incorrect synonymy)

Stewart, C. 1801. Elements of the natural history of the animal kingdom. London : Publisher unknown 110 pp. [Not seen; publication date for Horn & Schenkling. In edition 2, published 1817, species (Aphis urticata. [Orthezia urticata]) appears on page 120] [120] (Aphis urticata: misspelling of species name)

Common Name References

Kosztarab, M. & Kozár, F. 1988. Scale Insects of Central Europe. Budapest : Akadémiai Kiado 456 pp. (cited also by ) (Ensign Coccid, Nettle Ensign Scale)

Richard, C. 1998. Ortheziidae. In, Kozár, F. (ed.). Catalogue of Palaearctic Coccoidea. Budapest, Hungary : Plant Protection Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences 526 pp. (Cochenille De L'ortie)

History of changes